Dick Gregory
Legendary comedian and activist Dick Gregory has passed away. He was 84. He was a true legend and
barrier breaker.
Gregory was initially hospitalized last week from complications with his health.
Gregory was an American civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur, comedian, conspiracy
theorist and occasional actor.
Gregory began his career as a comedian while serving in the military in the mid 1950s. He served in the
army for a year and a half at Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Lee in Virginia, and Fort Smith in Arkansas. He was
drafted in 1954 while attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale. After being discharged in 1956 he
returned to the university but did not receive a degree. With a desire to perform comedy professionally,
he moved to Chicago.
In 1958, Gregory opened a nightclub called the Apex Club in Illinois. The club failed, landing Gregory in
financial hardship. In 1959, Gregory landed a job as master of ceremonies at the Roberts Show Club.
Gregory performed as a comedian in small, primarily black-patronized nightclubs, while working for the
United States Postal Service during the daytime. He was one of the first black comedians to gain
widespread acclaim performing for white audiences. In an interview with The Huffington Post, Gregory
describes the history of black comics as limited: "Blacks could sing and dance in the white night clubs but
weren't allowed to stand flat-footed and talk to white folks, which is what a comic does."
Gregory attributes the launch of his career to Hugh Hefner, who watched him perform at Herman Roberts
Show Bar. Based on that performance, Hefner hired Gregory to work at the Chicago Playboy Club as a
replacement for comedian "Professor" Irwin Corey.
Gregory's first television appearance was on the late night show Tonight Starring Jack Paar. He soon
began appearing nationally and on television.
Early in Dick Gregory's career, he was offered an engagement on Tonight Starring Jack Paar. Paar's show
was known for helping propel entertainers to the next level of their careers. At the time, black comics did
perform on the show, but were never asked to stay after their performances to sit on the famous couch
and talk with the host. Dick Gregory declined the invitation to perform on the show several times until
finally Jack Paar called him to find out why he refused to perform on the show. Eventually, in order to
have Gregory perform, the producers agreed to allow him to stay after his performance and talk with the
host on air. This was a first in the show's history. Dick Gregory's interview on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
spurred conversations across America.
As the years passed Gregory continued to use his voice for activism and civil rights while always keeping
his ear to the ground in the comedy world.
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